> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.tess.im/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

Get up and running with the Tess AI API in a few minutes.

## **Create an API Key**

To use the Tess AI API, you'll need an API key. You can create one by:

1. Going directly to [#Tess AI → User Tokens](https://tess.im/dashboard/user/tokens)
2. Or navigating through the UI:
   * Visit [#Tess AI](https://tess.im/)
   * Click on the User Menu
   * Select "API Tokens"
   * Click "Add New Token"

## **Set up your API Key (recommended)**

Configure your API key as an environment variable. This approach streamlines your API usage by eliminating the need to include your API key in each request. Moreover, it enhances security by minimizing the risk of inadvertently including your API key in your codebase.

## **Required headers**

Every authenticated API call needs:

```bash theme={null}
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
x-workspace-id: YOUR_WORKSPACE_ID
```

`x-workspace-id` is **required as of 2026-09-01**. Until then, omitting it falls back to your selected workspace (deprecated). After the cutoff, missing header → **422**. See [API Overview](/en/api-overview) and [Errors](/en/errors).

Example:

```bash theme={null}
curl --request GET \
  --url 'https://api.tess.im/agents' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' \
  --header 'x-workspace-id: YOUR_WORKSPACE_ID'
```

## **Next Steps**

Now that you've made your first API call, you can explore:

* [Execute an Agent](https://docs.tess.im/en/execute-agent)
* [Available Endpoints](https://docs.tess.im/en/api-overview)
* [Rate Limits](https://docs.tess.im/en/rate-limits)
* [Error Handling](https://docs.tess.im/en/errors)
* [Connect to Zapier, Make, WhatsApp, n8n](https://docs.tess.im/en/make)